NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee National Guard and Nashville responders are headed to the eastern division of the state to help with catastrophic flooding left by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.
Guardsmen are providing ground and aerial rescue support to those in need alongside the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
“Our priority is to rapidly deploy to the affected areas and assist emergency responders with rescue operations,” said Tennessee’s Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Warner Ross. “We are monitoring the situation and prepared to support as long as needed to ensure the safety of our fellow Tennesseans.”
In Unicoi County, the Tennessee National Guard already helped once Friday as they provided aerial rescue for a hospital and its patients. Authorities said they are prepared to continue supporting local and state emergency management agencies as requested
Around 5 p.m. members of Nashville's Swiftwater Rescue Team from the MNPD & NFD have left for Elizabethton to help rescue persons in flooded areas of Carter County. They will arrive late tonight. The team is equipped with boats, drones and extrication tools.
Reports from Elizabethton indicate that a dam break has caused significant damage to Interstate 40, a nearby hospital and a nursing home leaving persons stranded in and near the flooded areas.
The Type 2 Swiftwater team will have seven personnel from the Nashville Fire Department and six personnel from the Metro Nashville Police Department.
The team has supplies to last for 72 hours, and an extension of the request will be evaluated if needed.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation is also sending crews from Nashville on Saturday morning.
That group will consist of 16 strike force members and five bridge inspectors.
TDOT’s Strike Force is a group of workers that goes to other locations with their equipment to work as support, much like Red Cross would dispatch local teams to other areas.
They will stay at least three nights.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me newsroom@newschannel5.com.
There are a lot of great schools in our area. Congratulations to four schools in the mid-state that were awarded National Blue Ribbons for Academic Execellence. The were among six in Tennessee to receive that honor. They were among 356 schools across the United States to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education!
-Lelan Statom
